Not that he wanted her to be scared, but still, it was good that she realized exactly who he was at that moment and knew exactly how badly she’d fucked up.
Her eyes widened, and rather than slam the door in his face, she took a shaky step back.
“There’s no way to go in that direction,” he warned her. “There’s no point in running.”
“I’ll scream if you hurt me, you bastard,” she snarled, her face contorting with rage at his words. She was wearing a toweling dressing robe which she clung to.
He must have disturbed her out of the shower because it clung to her in a way that, before Pip, he’d have had to fuck her against the wall. Right there. Right then.
As it was, he felt nothing. Sure, she looked hot, and he could appreciate that, but it was nothing to how Pip had looked yesterday in his arms, in his bed, impaled on his shaft.
“I have no intention of hurting you,” he stated coolly, but it was hard going to keep the need for his mate out of his voice.
He’d left her to nap this afternoon. She’d been healing his brothers all morning and was worn out. Knowing where his destination would be, he figured it was for the best that he visited his ex while his mate was asleep.
Fewer questions that way.
“You already hurt me,” Juanita retorted. “When you promised me you wouldn’t.”
“When I made that promise, I believed something about you, Juanita. Something I learned wasn’t the truth.”
She frowned at him, still clinging to the wet wrap she’d used to cover up. “I don’t understand.”
“There was no malice or gameplaying in my splitting up with you,” he told her, urging her with his voice to believe him. Jesus, he had to be oozing sincerity.
But then, the truth had a habit of doing exactly that.
Maybe she recognized it, because she firmed her jaw, tilted her chin up in that way of hers he’d always found to be cute, and said, “If you have some explaining to do, then you’d better shut the door. I won’t be taking your pasty ass back though, if that’s what this is about.”
Her haughty tone had him laughing as he closed the door behind him. “After that stunt you pulled last night, you should be grateful it’s only me who’s come to visit.”
He saw her blanch at that, grimaced at the need to put her on edge, but carried on regardless, “That was a stupid thing to do, Juanita.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but if all you’re here for is to talk shit, then you can get the fuck out of here.” She raised a hand and pointed it to the door he’d only just come through.
“No, Juanita. I saw you. On the back of that bike, last night. Was it some kind of sick fuckery that made you wear that shirt? And those particular jeans?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she whispered, her voice quieter now, and definitely panic-filled. “I think you should go.”
“But I only just got here,” he retorted softly, taking a step forward. “I saw you. Wearing that pink tee I used to love on you and those jeans I bought… on the back of a motherfucking bike as you tossed a Molotov cocktail onto my goddamn clubhouse. What the fuck were you thinking? Did you want the MC to come after you? Did you hope it would kill me? You know my MC and your cartel are at war, so why not just throw some intel to your leader?”
She’d blanched further at his words, but then, she flinched. “You know I’d never do that.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t you? You hate me enough to try to blow me up, as well as a lot of very innocent people.”
That had her snorting. “Innocent? Since when were a bunch of bikers fucking innocent? You’re all as bad as each other.”
She made to turn away, but he rushed over to her, grabbed her arm, and made her stay in position. He was careful with his hold. He didn’t want to leave her with bruises, but there was no escaping the firm grip he had on her wrist. “You’re not going anywhere until you explain what the hell you were thinking.”
“I didn’t realize you’d turned into a shrink,” she snapped. “Do you want me to talk to you about my daddy issues? Is that it?”
This time, he shook her. “I’m trying to help, Juanita. I’m trying to stop the MC coming down on your head over what you did.”
“Why would you do that? I tried to hurt you. I tried to hurt a lot of people in that clubhouse last night. Why should you try to protect me?”
“Because, as much as I was able, I loved you, Juanita.”
She froze at that, then hissed, “You bastard.”
“It’s the truth, Juanita.”
Maybe the softness of his tone got through to her where anger wouldn’t. She stared up at him with those big brown doe eyes of hers for what felt like a lifetime.
He’d always been amazed at how she changed with makeup. She looked so young without the crap she coated her features in. With it all pasted on, it added about ten years to her features and made her look a lot more sexually aggressive than he knew her to be. She chose bold and striking colors when, at heart, she was a softer, tender creature.
He’d always thought it was because brassy and extroverted was her mask, the way she survived in the cartel.
His theory had never been proved right or wrong, but he still suspected it regardless.
“Why are you here?” she whispered, shielding her eyes now by lowering her lashes. She kept her attention on him though, and he knew she was listening. That she wanted to hear what he had to say.
“I came to tell you the truth, and I came for your help.”
“My help? You’ve a damned nerve!” She tried to pull her wrist from his grasp but failed. She let out an irritated huff and then said, “Get on with it. I have somewhere to be in an hour.”
“This won’t take long,” he promised. “Do you want to sit down?”
Her answer was to pull at his hold once more, and when he released her, she strode on up the staircase to her living quarters and plunked herself on the cheap leatherette sofa.
He’d been here only a few days ago, had considered this place his haven, his escape. But now, he looked around the dingy but clean room and realized how deep in denial he’d been, how desperately he’d been seeking escape, an escape that would only come once he could fall into the arms of his mate.
He took the seat opposite the sofa, hooked his ankles together, and settled his hands on his belly.
From his posture, she stopped perching on the edge of the sofa cushions and sat back. “Explain,” she commanded, and with a nod, he began:
“I know you’re aware I run with an MC.”
“No shit,” she snarled. “Is that it?”
He glowered at her. “Let me fucking speak.” When she just pursed her lips, he continued, “You know I’m a biker, and you know we’re not entirely running on the legal side of things. But, what I don’t think you’re aware of is the fact The Nomads are a Shifter Clan.”
When her eyes widened, he knew his guess had been right.
“You’re a Shifter?” she whispered, head tilting forward in astonishment as her shoulders dropped.
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m a Bear Shifter. All the brothers in my MC are Bear Shifters too.”
She gulped. “Holy fuck, and they know I set fire to their MC?” She jumped to her feet. “I need to get the hell out of town.”
Before she could rush off in a panic, he leapt to his feet and grabbed hold of her arms again. This time, he forcibly pushed her onto the sofa, gritting out, “Calm down. I wouldn’t be here with a story to tell you if I’d come to punish you.”
She blinked at him, batting those eyelashes that had driven him crazy once upon a time. “You promise?”
“I promise. I’m not here to hurt you, and no one else is coming either.”
“Why not?”
“Because they understand the circumstances.” He grimaced. “They might not like them or appreciate your method of dealing with it, but they’re willing to forgive you. For a price.”
S
he bit her bottom lip. “Is it true what they say?”
“What do they say? Humans have a lot of shit to talk about where Shifters are concerned.”
She raised a hand and pressed it to her forehead. “That once you piss one off, there’s no getting away from it. They’ll have your hide.”
Major snorted. “It’s a little extreme, granted, but doesn’t it work the same way with humans? Some people want vengeance, others don’t.”
She gulped. “Get on with your story. I need to understand what I’ve gotten myself into.”
Because her olive skin had turned a pasty puce, he knew she was genuinely scared. Considering his feelings for the woman, as well as the fact there was no need to be concerned, he continued, “Shifters have mates. Until recently, I believed you were mine.”
She blinked at him, then she stuttered, “Y-You thought I was your m-mate?”
“I did.”
“But I’m not?”
“No.” He was touched that she looked disappointed.
“I guess that was a stupid question since you dumped me.” She sucked in a quivery breath. “I guess that’s why though, huh? You found her? You’re real mate.”
He closed his eyes as guilt flushed through him. “I’m sorry. I did.”
Her fingers were trembling when she rested them on her lap. “No need to be sorry. I’ve seen enough of the romcoms about Shifters to know how special mates are. You didn’t have a choice, did you?”
He shook his head. “No. That day, when I left, I had to go to the hospital. Someone had spotted me coming out of your place, and they told my Prez. When I explained I thought you were my mate, he told me there was no ‘thinking’ or ‘hesitating’ where the mate bond was concerned. If you had been my mate, cartel ties or no, he’d have embraced you into the fold. But he said the fact we’d been together for so long and I still hadn’t marked you… well, it told its own tale.”
“You broke up with me before you met your mate?” she asked, frowning at him a little.
“Yeah. I didn’t cheat on you.”
“You couldn’t cheat on me. Not when you were never mine to have.” Her tone turned from bitter to brisk over the length of that sentence. “Where did you meet her then? Or I guess, when, is the better question.”
“The next day. We stopped off at a diner, and I met her there.” He didn’t explain about how he’d known Pip before and that there’d been some kind of weird hormonal jiggery pokery that had fucked with his mate bond. That wasn’t important right now.
What mattered was her understanding he hadn’t screwed her over on purpose.
“You’re mated now? You are, how you said, bound to her?”
“I am.”
She raised her hands and covered her face. He watched her dig her fingers into her eyes and rub a little. “I never expected to hear any of this.”
“I know. That’s what last night was about, right? Revenge?”
She nodded without looking at him.
“Truth is, I don’t know when, but I’d have told you in my own time. I never wanted to hurt you, Juanita. I swear, you were the only thing that got me through these past few months. My control has been strained, which is an understatement. But you helped. Really, you did. I’d never have wanted to repay that by treating you like shit.
“But when I called, I was devastated.” He sighed. “I really believed you were my mate. I was desperate to believe it. Mars broke all those hopes apart, and I knew I had to break it with you before he started to get pissed at your ties to Martinez.” He rubbed his nose. “I wasn’t my kindest on the phone because I was hurting too. But I promise, I’d have come to you to explain. One day.”
“You always were the most sincere guy I’d ever met.” She shook her head. “It was why I fell so hard for you. How could I not be addicted to your honesty when everything I deal with every day is just bullshit.”
“I know. Everything I’m saying is the truth, Juanita. I promise.”
“I know.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry about the clubhouse.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t. Did anyone get hurt?”
“Nothing major. We’re Shifters.” He shrugged. “We heal quickly.”
Her eyes rounded at that, wonder buried deep within them as she murmured, “I’m glad to hear that. I was… well, I wasn’t thinking straight. That was my problem. I couldn’t get over how you’d just cut me off, and I drank too much tequila and had a stupid idea that I couldn’t not act on. I’m really sorry.”
“I know you are.” His smile was gentle, understanding. “The council recognizes you were hurting. They’re not mad. But they need your help.”
She bit her lip. “How?”
“My MC and your cartel, they’re at war. A lot of people are going to get hurt, Juanita, if we don’t stop it before it really starts heating up. So far, there hasn’t been much aside from a few fights over territory, but we both know Martinez is a cunt. He can drag this on forever.”
“So? What do you want me to do about it?” she demanded, shifting forward to perch on the edge of the sofa again.
“I want your help. I know you get close to him.”
“You know why as well,” she snarled, tone bitter.
His throat closed at her words. “Really?” he asked softly.
She jerked her chin up in the air. “Why else?”
“I didn’t know.” He sat up too, shifted his legs then leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Shit. I didn’t know.”
Silence fell between them. “What did you come here for?” Her words were soft as silk.
“I needed evidence. The MC doesn’t want to go to war. The old Prez might have sanctioned that. Shit, what he was willing to do to earn some bucks horrified us all. But Mars isn’t willing to lose anyone to this.”
“At last, a leader with sense.” She was bitter, but who could blame her. “You really didn’t know?”
“No. I just thought he called you up for help with some shit.” He shrugged. “That’s not how it works with my MC. I guess I was naïve to think that SOB would… He had all those girls on fucking tap. Why screw with his own?”
“Control?” She let out a hiss. “Because he’s a twisted fuck who likes to mess with people’s heads?”
He jerked his head in understanding. “I’m sorry, Juanita. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s the bed I made a long time ago, and I have to lie in it until I’m too old for him to want to fuck me.”
“Surely there’s something we can do.”
“Like what?” She rolled her eyes.
“Why don’t you come to the MC?” he proffered, desperation making the words burst forth regardless of their circumstances.
“What? And bump shoulders with your mate?”
“Not necessarily. Just use it as a halfway house. We can take you anywhere in the state. We have people all over the nation—a network that far surpasses what Martinez has available to him. We could use it to get you free of him.”
“I have family here.”
“Family who are quite willing for their leader to fuck you simply because he’s the boss and everyone has to do as they’re told.”
“It isn’t like that. None of us have a choice.”
“We all have a choice, Juanita. Now you have one. Let us help you get away from here.”
“That will come at a price, Major. I’m poor. I can’t afford it.”
“Bullshit. If there’s a price, it’s your help.”
“You want evidence? What kind of evidence? Half the police know Martinez’s game, and they turn a blind eye. You think providing them with proof of the shit he pulls will get him locked up?” She snorted her derision. “You’re the one being naïve now.”
“I don’t want information for the cops. I want it for the IRS.”
For a second, his words fell into the chasm that had fallen between him. Then, she stared him straight in the eye. Her posture told him without wor
ds that her opinion had changed.
Gone was the frail creature who had to bend if she wasn’t to break in the hurricane that was Martinez in her life. Here was the woman he’d known and come to love in his own way. “Tell me more.”
Chapter 9
Pip yawned as she stretched on the bed. The sheets smelled of her and Major, and it was the best scent in the world. Hell, it beat even the name brand laundry detergents.
And in her life, she’d had precious opportunities to use anything so costly.
The only problem was, as she wriggled among the soft sheets, she realized she was alone. Which, to be frank, fucking sucked. She’d spent precious few days waking up with Major at her side, and she was looking forward to the practice becoming a habit.
Yawning, she sat up, and with bleary eyes peered around the room.
It was as depressing as it had been before, only before, Major had been somewhere in its environs. She knew she was alone, but she didn’t know how she knew.
Figuring it was to do with the mate bond, she smiled to herself, satisfied by the prospect.
Pip wanted to hug herself, either that or pinch somewhere soft—and there were too many places on her body to choose from—to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. To confirm that all this, all of it, was actually happening.
But it wasn’t a dream. Every moment that passed simply confirmed that.
Major truly was her mate, and she really could heal people who were severely injured.
Another yawn wracked her, making her jaw ache, and she remembered now why she was asleep through the day.
She’d been helping the brothers who’d been caught by the fire. Their burns hadn’t been as bad as Troy’s, but they’d been pretty nasty. With Major’s help, she’d managed not to burn out, but after a while, exhaustion had most definitely struck. She’d been falling asleep standing up when he’d grabbed hold of her and lugged her back to his crappy bedroom.
A smile twitched across her lips, and it widened when the door opened. It opened slowly, carefully, and she knew then and there it was him, and he was doing his best not to wake her up.
When he caught sight of her, the look on his face made her heart melt. How could it not?
MAJOR (MC Bear Mates Book 5) Page 10
